Electric signal apparatus.



G. E. DUPPIE. ELECTRIC SIGNAL APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APB..27, 1907.

Patented May 11, 1909.

4 sums-sum 3.

:& AAQMQ 0. B. DUPFIE.

ELECTRIC SIGNAL APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED APR. 27, 1907.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

To all whom it may concern: a

STATES- PATENT oFFioE.

cn'aRLEsE. D'UFFIVE', OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

anaemic VSI'GNAIL arrnim'rus Be it known that I, CHARLES E". DUFFIE, a citizen of the. United States, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful. Improvementsin Electric Signal Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

' This invention. relates to means for-notify ing the engineer or motorman of a railway train of danger conditions along the right-of-- way, such as the'presence of another train or car in too close proximity, misplaced switches, open draw-bridges, broken or missing rails, etc,

One of theobjects of this invention is the provision of an improved signal apparatus which shall be entirely automaticin its action.

ductien of a signal apparatuswhich s all give a danger signal if any portion of the apv paratus-isderanged. I 4

The invention also relates to a. signal system comprising signal apparatus alongth'e 'right-of-way and improved means carried by. the locomotive for noting the conditionof purpose of obtaining a In the accompanying drawings,Figures1,-

2 and 3 are portions of a diagram illustrating the circuits comprised in an 'embodinien't oi my invention. Figs. 4 and 5 are diagram matic representations of contact brushes carried by'the locomotive, and the circuits in which they are included. In the signal system hereinshown, signals are transmitted to the engineer at points along the right-of-way which I shall denominat-e signal stations A, B, C, D, E, etc., (stations A, B, and C only, being shown in the drawings) said signal stations being preferably located one-half mile apart. The traffic rails are divided into sections by means of insulating joints at thesignal stations. Preferably midway between the signal stations are placed the batteries and relays which control the electrical instruments at the signal stations. andrelays are located I will :term battery stations, and they are indicated in thedrawings Specification of Letters Patent. Application fi1efl'Apri1 2 7, 1907; Serial'No. $10,590;

Another'object of theinvcntion is the ro- The points at which said batteries.

Patented ma 11-, icon;

by the letters a, band c. I shall herein. use

the term train.to indicate a steam or electric locomotive, car, or train of cars.

d ,The track at each signal station is divided into two long and two short sections by means of insulating joints x, The short section to theleft orw'est of the center of the ately east comprises the rails 5 and 6, and the second short section, the rails 7 and 8. On

either side-of the shorter insulated sections aretwo sections formed by the rails 9 and 10,

and 11 and. 12, said long sections extending tot-he insulating joints placed immediately 01) osite each of the battery. stations.

.- pon each locomotive-intendedfor service 7 upon a railway provided with a signaling systemofi this or any; other suitable character is connected at each of the signal stations along placed apparatus adapted to be electrically the road with a comparatively short circuit which shall be herein termed the contact cir-' cuit. If,s'aid-contact circuit is closed and affected, and l d-danger signal will be given,

otherwise in operative condition, the appa- ,rat'us carried by the. locomotive will not be If thecontaet circuit is open or deranged, the I apparatus upon'the locomotive will be operated to give a danger; signal. Said contact circuit is arranged to be opened and closed by apparatus included in a signal circuit extending, in this instance-,' from said signal station to the thirdsignal station ahead. Said signal circuit, in turn, is arranged to be broken and closed by relays includedi-n a number of circuits of which the track rails and theca-r Wheels and a des form apart. Said track circuits will next be described. I

1 The. rails 11 and 12 are connected at their left or west ends with a relay 13 by means of wires 14 and '15, the east ends of said rails being connected with a battery 16 by meansof wires 17 "and 18; thearmature of a relay 19 being included insaid wire 18! The relay 19 is connected with therails 1 and 2 by means of the wires 20 and 21. Said rails 1 and 2 are connected with a battery 22 by means of wires 28 and 24. The rails 3,-and 4 are conneetedfat their west ends with an electromagnetas. by wires-26 and 27. Upon the armature of. magnet 25i's3 a locking projection 25 adapted to engage the armature of the means of wires 34 and 35, and with an electroinagnet 36 by ineansof wires 37 and The rails 7 and 8 are connected with a battery 39 by means of wires 40 and 41, and with a relay 42 by means of wires 43 and 44. The

-- west ends of rails 9 and areconnectedwith battery 45- by means of wires 46 and 47, the wire 47 including the armature of the relay 42. The east ends of rails 9 and 10 are'connected with a relay 48 by means of '.'wires 49 and 50;

In the present embodiment, the resistance of the magnets 36 is higher than that of" the relays 33, but the resistance of both,

when connected in series, preferably does not exceed four ohms. The. current passing through the coils of the magnet 25 will then be sufficient to cause it to attract its armature, while the high resistance of said magnet W111 cut down-the flow oi current to such an extent that the relay 30 will not attract its armature. However, the magnets 25 36 and the relays 30 33 may be of the same resistance, in which case said relays normally will always attract their arm atures, and this is perhaps the preferable arrangement, for a reason which will presently appear.

The signal circuits will now be described. 'At the signal station A a relay 51 is connected with the common'return wire 52 and with a signal wire 53 extending to the third signal station west of signal station-A, a relay similar to relay 51 being there connected in-series with said signal wire 53 and the common return wire 52. At the signal station A another relay 54 is connected in series with the common return wire 52 and a signal wire 55 running eastward to signal station D (not shown), a similar relay being there connected in series with said signal wire and the doin- Inon return wire. Similarly at signal station B a relay 56 is connected in series with the common return wire 52 and a signal wire 57 extending to. the-third signal station west of signal station B. At signal station B another relay 58 is connected in series With the common return wire and a signal wire 59 running eastward tosignal station E. At signal station C the relay 60 is connected with the return wire 52 and a signal wire 61, extending to the third signal station to the west, and a relay 62 is connected with connnon return and a signal wire 63 extending eastward Y to signal station F. The contact points 64 or" 5 the relays 51 54, 56 58, and 60 62 are connected with the common return wire 52 by means of the wires 65. The contact oints 66 of the relays 30 and 33 are connecterlby means of a wire 67', between which wire and the common return wire 52- a relay 68 is connected in parallel. In this instance, at each side of said relay 68 a battery 69 is included in the wire 67. A single battery may, however, be made to serve the same purpose as the two batteries 69, the sin le battery being connected, in series with t he relay 68 in the short wire connecting said relay with the common return wire. The armatures 70 of the pairs of relays 51 and 33, 30 and 54, 56 and 33, 36 and 58, 60 and 3-3, and 30 and 62 are electrically connected.

In each of the signal wires 53, 5'56, 57, 5t), 61 and 63 is placed a main battery 71 connccted in parallel with the common return wire 52, said batteries being located. at the battery stations. Atopposite sides of said battery relays 72 and 73 are included in said signal wire, the-contact points of said relays being connected with said signal wire and the common return n ire by means of wires 74 and 75. Each of the signal' .rircs 53, 5 7, 59, 61 and 63 is connected with the armatures of the relays 13 and 48, the springs of said relays tending to move said arinaturcs in the direction to open said ircs.

I will next describe the contact circuit at each of the signal stations. At each signal station there is placed along the track at a short distance outside of the trallic rails two contact rails 76 and 77 preferably of inverted V -shape in cross-section. These cont-act rails are arranged to be contacted by suitalt-lc brushes carried by the locomotive, said brushes being electrically connected with cab apparatus to be described later herein. The

contact rail 76 is connected with the armature of the relay 68 by means of the vtirc 78. The contact rail 77 is connected with the contact point ofsaid relay by means of the wire 79, said wire including a resistance coil 80.

The means for electrically connecting the apparatus carried by the locomotive. with the contact circuit consists, in thisembodiment, of two oairsof contact brushcs'8l and 82' attachei' to the oil boxes of the rear tank wheels, one pair being placed at each side oi the tank; Said brushes are pivotally mounted at 83 and comprise curved .cross-bars 84, one end of each of which cross-bars is ongaged by an insulated spring 85 tending to 'maintain the brushes in a Vertical position. The opposite ends of said cross-bars arc 'arranged to contact flat contact springs 86. 87 are insulated adjusting screws for adjusting the position of said contact springs.

At a suitable point upon the locomotive is placed'a battery 88, one pole of 'which is connected preferably with the lower ends of the A contactbru'shes- 81 by means of the wire 89.

eaaeea of saidbrushes, thence into the contact springs 86, thence into the contact screws 90, thence throu h the wires 91 to one endof the resistance coil 92. The other end of said reslstance coil 1s connected by means of the wires 93 with the contact screws 94, the current flowing from said screws to. the contact springs 86, the brushes 82 and the wire 95 to one end of thecoil 96 of a differential relay 97 The. other end of said-coil is connected with the battery 88xthrougli the wire 98-.

(Fig. 3). The other coil 99 of the differential relay 97 is-connected with the battery 88 by ineansof the wires 100 and 98, a resistance- 1101 being'connected in series with said coil and said battery. The armature 1.02of'said diiferen-tial relay is, connected with the battery 88 by means of the "wires 103 and 100. The contact point 104 of saidv relay'is connected with one end of the winding of an electro-magnet 105, the ether endof said winding'being connected with the coils of the difierential relay 97 and the battery. 88 bymeans of the wires 106, 98 and 100. The spring 107 tends to close a circuit from the,

- battery 88 through the electro-inagnet 105.

lmagnet is denergized the signal apparatus resistance 92.

leading brush of each pa r touches one of the contact rails and breaks the electricalcon- Said: electromagnet is arranged to control a suitable signaling device not shown), such as means for setting the air brakes, the apparatus being so arranged that when the electrois rendered eiiective. The resistances 80, 92 and 101 are so adjusted that the resistances of the circuit through the battery 88 and the differential-relay coil 99, the circuit through said battery and the differentialrelay coil'96 when the resistance .92 is included, and of said last-mentioned circuit when the contact circuit-is included, are sub st'antiallyequal.

' In the construction hereinillustrated, the wires 91 constitute a connection between the brushes 81., and'the wires 93' form a connection between the .brushes 82. As shown, the Wires- 91 and 93 are connected through the It will be seen that when the nections at 86 and 86 94, a circuit will still be complete through the coil 96 of the differential relay until the trailing brushes strike the contact rails.

other set will keep the circuit closed and vent a false-danger signal-being given,

When the brushes are not in con-' electrically continuous.

Thus, if one set of brushes should jump and leave the rails, the,

rails 1 and 2 and the battery 22. The west- T-he track circuits are shou'n in norem ends .of the rails 3 and a are connected With the electro-magnet 25, the armature of which carries the locking projection 25 adapted to engage with the armature of the relay 19 for holding the relay points of said relay open. I

It will be seen that so long as the rails 11 and 12' are electrically continuous and unoccupied by va pair of wheels the relay 13 will be energized by the current from battery 16 and will attract its three 'armatures, closing the points 'Of said relay as sho'nn in Fig. 2, and making the signal uires 55, 57, and 6]. But the relay 13 will not be energized unless the relay points of the relay 19' are closed so as to complete. the circuit of the battery 16. Said points will be closed so long as the circuit is com.- pleted from the battery 22 through the rails 1 and2unless while the armature of the relay 19 is in its uppermost position, the magnet 25 is deprived of current, in which case the lockin projection 25 upon the ar1uature'of saic magnet will engage the armature of the relay 19, and hold itopen. The purpose of this'interlock v; ill be explained hereinafter.

Normally, current from the battery 28 will flow through the rails 3 and 1 and the The a heels 3 have short-circuited battery16 V and thus deprived relay 13 of current, breakin the signal wires 53, 57- and 61. Said slgna wires also would be opened by the presence of a pair of wheels across the rails '1 and 2, said wheels short-circuiting the battery 22, thus depriving the relay 19 of current, and breaking the circuit in which the relay 13 is included. i If norq, while there is a pair of wheels-across the rails 1 and 2, a second pair of Wheels enters upon the rails 3 and 4 (as would occur in the case of a train traveling in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1), a short circuit w ill be established through the pair of wheels upon therails 3- and 4 and through the wire 31, relay 30, wire 29, and

ceases 56 58, '60 62 has been deenergized by the olpiening of'the signal circuit extending to the 1; rd s1gnal station. ahead, it Will be apparent that the'relay 68 at the signal station-being,

approached cannot be. energized, and therefore that the contact circuit at said'signal station will ,be open.

Referring" now to Figs. 8, 4 and 5, theoper ation of thecontact circuits and the circuits upon the locomotive will be ex lained. When the brushes 81 and 82 are not'ln contact with the contact rails 76 77 at asignal station, a

circuit is. complete through the brushes 81-, the wire 89, the battery 88, wire 98, coil 9.6 of the differential relay 97, wire 95, brushes 82, contact springs 8.6, contact screws 94, wires 93, resistance 92, wires 91', contact screws 90, and contact springs 86 back to brushes 81. Another circuit is complete throu h the battery 88, Wire 100, coil'99 of the .di erential relay 97, resistance 101 and wire 98 to the battery 88. As'hereinbeforementioned, the

resistances 92 and 101 are adjusted so that the resistances of the two circuits just de- An equal amount of current, therefore, passes through both of saiddifferential-relay coils, andno magnet:

ism is developed in the core of the relay 9.7, which, consequently, does not attract its armature 102 A th1rd circuit is complete from the battery 88, through wires 100 and 103, armature 102-, contact 104, electro-magnet. 105, and wires 106 and 98, back to said battery. The electro-magnet 105, therefore,

is energized,. and, attracting its armature,-

holds the signal device infthe inoperative 'position. I

When the locomotive passes a pair of contact rails 76 77, the brushes 81 82 will be svmn upon their pivots 83 by the contact of their ower ends with said rails, withdrawing one of the contact springs 86 for each pair of brushes from the contact screws 90 and 94, thus breaking the short circuit between said contact brushes through the resistance coil 92 and'replacing-said short circuit with the contact circuit leading from the contact rail 76 through wire 78, resistance 80, and wire 7 9, to the contact rail 7 7, assuming the last mentioned circuit to be closed by the relay 68. Since the resistances of the two circuits referred. to are equal, the amount of current flowing through the two code of the dlfi'erential relay 97 will not be altered, and the cab circuits will remain in the condition first described and as shown in Fig. 1'. If, however, the contact circuit has not been closed by the relay 68 at the signal'station in question, the

distance from the front truck 0 tain the resistance .80 should be inserted as lay. 68.

The magnets'25 and 36 are employed to near as possible to the relay points of the re- .prevent a misleading clear si albein given. to a locomotive drawing no cad. T e rear wheels of such an engine would have left the rails 7 and 8 (or 1 and 2) before the contact brushes 81 .82 touch the contact rails 76 77. This would allow the track circuits of rails 7 8 9 10 (or 1 2 11 12) to close, closin the signal circuit extending'rearwardly o the engine, energizing relay 51, 54, 56, '58,. 60 or 62 in said circuit, closing a circuit through battery 69 and relay 68, and closing the contact circuit. A clear signal would then be given, said signal coming from the portion of the train-control block behind the engine, even if there were a train in the portion of said block ahead of the engine. It is therefore necessary, for the protection of light engines, to keep the relay 54.58 62 (or 51 56 60) deprived of current under all conditions until the contact brushes have passed off the contact rails.

To prevent the giving of a false danger signal by the train itself at every signal station, the rails 3 4 5 6, in thepresent embodiment of the invention, should be lon er than the fthe longest engine which passes over the road to the rear Wheel of -the tender, the preferred length being not less than 90 feet, v

In order that there may be. no points at which two trains could meet without getting signals, I arrange the signal circuits so that they overlap each other, as shown, one of the two signal circuits that end atv each signal station extending to the third signal station ahead, and the other circuit running to the third station behind. The reason for two overlaps instead of but one is to. provide against the remote rligssibility of two a proaching trains str ng and leaving t e contact rails at stations A and D, for example, before the one train reached the rails .7 8 (station A) or the other, the rails 1 2 (station D); Neither train having reached said track railsbefore the other left the contact rails, neither would operate the trackcircuit apparatus to 0 en the signal wire 55 in time to signal the ot ier. The trains would then proceed to stations B and C where they would be. stopped, as the signal relays governing these two stations would be deenergized before eithertrain arrived.

I It will be seen that a train receives signals only from the signal circuits extending-forwardly from any particular signal station, but that it transmits signals to stations block three mileslong, which shifts forward the train progresses, every half mile.

ahead of and behind Any train therefore as t moves over the track is practically the center of a movable train-control or signal In the construction herein shown, the resistance of the magnets 36 is higher than that of'therelays 33, said relays not receiving sufiicient current to-cause them to attract their arniatures untilsaid magnets have been de rived of current by a, train, as hereinbefore escribed. The relay 68, therefore, normally is not energized and the contact circuit is open. As relays are sometimes sluggish in operation, the arrangement just described necessitates making the rails 4, 5, and 6 longer than would be required if the relay 68 'Was normally energized. It being desirable to make the track circuits as short as practicable in order to reduce the amount of escape or loss of current, the re- 'sistance ofithe magnets 25 36 and relays 30 33 may be made substantially equal, in which case said relays normally will attract their armatures, and the contact circuits remain closed except in case-of danger.

For., conven1ence, I have herein used the claimed in my copending application Serial No. 389,187, filed August 19, 1907.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a, railway signal apparatus, in, combination, a normally inactive'difi'erential relay, the circuits through which. are normally closed; a; signal device controlled by said re lay; said relay and said signal device being arranged to travel along the right-of-way;

and means for affecting one of-said relay cir'-' cuits to unbalance the currents in said circuits.

2. In arailway signal -apparatus,in combination, a closed circuit comprisin one coil V of a differential relay; a normally closed cir cult comprising the other coil of said relay,

said circa? .s being of substantially the same resistance; a signalcontrolled by said relay said relay and said signal being arranged to travel along theright-otway and means for openingsaid second mentioned circuit.

.' 3. In a railway signal-a apziratus, in corn-' bination, a permanentl closed circuit. co1 n prising one coil. 05' ierential relay; s. cm I cuit comprising the other coil of said relay, said circuits being of substantially the same resistance; means for affecting the flow of current in one of said circuits; and a signal device controlled by said relay; said relay and said signal device being arranged to travel along the'right-of-way.

4. In a signalapparatus, in combination, a complete circuit comprising one coil of a differential relay; a com )lete circuit comprising the other coil of said relay; a signal device controlled by said relay; a signal circuit; apparatus controlled by said signal circuit; and means forincluding said last mentioned a paratus in one of said differential-relay circuits.

5. In a signal apparatus, in combination, a circuit comprisingone coil of adiiierential relay; a circuit comprising the other'coil of said relay; a signal device controlled by said relay; a signal circuit; a contact circuit controlled by said signal circuit; and means for including said contact circuit in one of said differential relay circuits.

6. In an electric signal system, in combination, a signal device; an electromagnet controlling said device; a differential relay controlling said electromagnet; circuits for said relay; an extension of one of said relay circuits; and means for including said extension in said circuit.

7. In an electric signal system, in combination. a signal device; an electromagnet con- .trolling said device; a differential relay controlling said electromagnet; circuits for said relay; a signal circuit; a contact circuit controlled by said signal circuit; and means for breaking one of the relay circuits and includingin it said contact circuit.

8. In a signal apparatus, in combination; a circuit comprising a battery and one coil of a difl erential relay; two contact devices and a resistance between said contact devices in series with said battery and the other coil of said differential relay; a signal device con trolled bysaid relay; and means for breaking the circuit including said contact devices.

9. In a signal apparatus, in combination, a circuit comprising a battery and one coil or a differential relay; two contact devices and a resistance between said contact devices in series with said battery and the other coil of said difi'erential relay; a signal device controlled by said relay; and means for breaking the electrical'connection between one of said contact devices and said resistance.

10. The combination, with two pivoted contact brushes of a resistance in series circuit in said brushes, said brushes bcingar ranged, whenrp vot'ally moved, to break the circuit at a point between th m for cutting out said resistance.

11. In a signal apparatus, in combination, a signal device; a d fferential relay controlwi con ct devices; and means operated by. said contact devices for breaking said short cirto move along the right-of-way and comprisaaaaea rcuit.

' 14! In a railway signal system divided into a plurality of blocks, in combination, a signal,

circuit extending from one block to another; and signal apparatus arranged to move along the right-of-way, and comprising a differential relay with its circuits, and a signal device controlled by said relay, said signalcir cuit beingarranged to afi'ect one of the differential-relay circuits to unbalance the cur-- rents in said diii'erential-relay circuits.

15. In a railway signal system divided into a plurality of blocks, incombination, a signal circuit extending from one block to "another; signal apparatus arranged to move along the '1-ight-ofway, said. signal apparatus comprising adiflere'ntial relay with its circuits, and a signal device controlled by said relay; and contact means arranged to be operatively connected with said differential relay, said contact means-being controlled by said signal circuit.

16. A railway signal apparatus arranged to. move along the right-of-way and compris ing a" difi'erential relay with its circuits, and

a signal device controlled by said relay; and stationary means located on the right-ofway for operating said difl'erential relay.

1*7/A railway signal apparatusarranged to move along the right-of-way and comprising a differential relay with its circuits, and .a signal device controlled by said relay; and

stationary means locat-ed on the right-ofway for opening one of the diii'erential-relay circuits.

18. A railway signal apparatus 1 arranged ing a diii'erential relay with its circuits, and a signal device 'cont rolled by said-relay means located on the right-of-way for opening one of the diflerential-relay circuits; and a circuit located on the right-of-way and adapted to be included in the last'mentioned differential-relay circuit.

19; A railway signal apparatus arranged to travel along the rigl1t-ofway and comprising a difierential relay with its circuits, and a signal device eont-rolledby said relay, one'of -nection with the circuit at another point.

the difierentiahrelay circuits being permanently closed; and stationary means on the right-of-way for, opening the other diflerfinial-relay circuit. v

20. A railway signal apparatus arranged to move along the right--of-way and comprising a difl'erential relay with its circuits and a signal device controlled by said relay, one of said differentials-clay circuits being permanently closed; mechanical means located on the right-of-wayfor opening the'other difierential-relay circuit; and a contact circuit on the right-of-way adapted to be included in the last mentioned diil'erential-relay circuit.

21. A railway signal apparatus arranged to move along the'right-of-way and comprising-a difierential relay with its circuits, and a 1 signal device controlled by said relay, one of said diiierential-relay circuits being per-Z manently closed; means located on the rightof-Way for opening the other-diil'erential-relay circuit; a contact circuit on the right-ofway adapted to be included in the last mentioned differential-relay circuit; and a signal circuit controlling said contact circuit.

22. Arailway signal apparatus arranged to move along the right-of-way, comprising a signal device; an electromagnet controlling said signal device; a differential relay, with its circuits, controlling said electromagnet; and a contact brush included in one of the differential-relay circuits.

23. The combination with two contact rails, of two movably supported brushes, each adapted to contact one of said contact rails; a circuit in which both of said brushes are included; :and means operated in the movement of said brushes for breaking said circuit at a point between said brushes.

24. In a signal apparatus, in combination, cab circuits comprising a differential relay and a source of electrical energy; a cab circuit comprising, a magnet; a signal device controlled by said magnet, said relay being arranged, when energized, to break said last mentioned circuit, all of the foregoing apparatus being arranged to travel; stationary means arranged to be electrically connected with said traveling apparatus; and stationarymeans, electrically independent of the other stationary means, for controlling the latter. 25. The combination, with a circuit, of a pivotally mounted contact device permanentlyconnected with the circuit near its free end.

26. The combination, with a circuit, of a pivot-ally mounted contact device per1na-' nently connected 'with the circuit near its free e'nd,,'said device having a breakable con- 27. The combination,.with two movably supported contact brushes, of an electrical connection between said brushes arranged to be broken by the movement of said' brushes.

28. The combination, with two movably supported contact brushes, of an electrical connection between said brushes arranged to be broken by the movement of said brushes, and an electric circuit in which said electrical connection and the free ends of said brushes are included.

29. The combination, in a locomotive signal apparatus, of, a leading and a trailing contact brush at each side of the locomotive, said'brushes being pivotally supported; an

tions being electrically connected; and a circult containing signal means and joining the pair of brushes at one side of the locomotive with the other pair.

CHARLES E. DUFFLE. lvitnesses CHARLES F. McGREw, BERT A. WILCOX. 

